Right after I posted THIS item about David Arquette talking about the possible sub-title of Scream 4, news broke that he and wife Courteney Cox-Arquette have split up! To be honest, I head to read the headline twice because … OMG, how have these two split up? AND, as if news of the split weren’t shocking enough … the couple have apparently been on the outs for “several months” now! Dude … Courteney and David are dunzo!

Courteney Cox and David Arquette have separated after 11 years of marriage … and TMZ has learned they’ve been separated for several months. A source close to the couple tells us the two are “still friends” and they maintain a business relationship with each other. In fact, sources tell us … no lawyers are involved. The couple has one child together. David and Courteney met on the set of “Scream” sometime around 1995 … and were married in 1999. They are currently co-starring in the upcoming “Scream” movie due out next year. There was a hint of things to come back on September 25 when Arquette was spotted out, sans wedding ring.

AND … to add insult to injury, there is a reported connection to Lindsay Lohan in this sad split. Well, kinda. After the jump, find out what the connection is and read the official statement from Courteney and David about their dunzoness …

The reason word got out that Courteney Cox and David Arquette separated is because pictures have surfaced of David and a woman with whom he has been intimate … We’re told the woman in question is Jasmine Waltz (right) — if that name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s the girl who punched Lindsay Lohan on LiLo’s birthday a few months back. Our sources say David and Jasmine began seeing each other after David and Courteney had separated and agreed to see other people. That said … we’re told a divorce is by no means a done deal. We’ve learned the couple has been living apart for several months, but there is a “real possibility” they could get back together. As one source said, “It’s a work in progress.” As for why they separated, one source simply said, “Life.”

HMMM … well, at least it sounds like the couple are handling things like adults. Here is the official statement released by the couple about this split news:

“We have agreed to a trial separation that dates back for some time. The reason for this separation is to better understand ourselves and the qualities we need in a partner and for our marriage. We remain best friends and responsible parents to our daughter and we still love each other deeply.”

Wow. This is just … insane. It just goes to show, despite the fact that everybody knows about everybody’s business in this age of social networking …. some folks know how to keep a secret. Here’s hoping the couple works out their issues in the way that works best for them … whether they stay together or not. This is just … a bummer.

I gotta admit – I’m shocked. I thought they would last forever. They seem like they were opposites but that was why they worked, they balanced each other out.
It did occur to me (as it did to others here) that perhaps those rumours about Cox having an affair with her co-star might be true?
I have a lot of respect for them though regarding their approach to the situation, none of the fanfare that Oksana and Mel are creating for example. They have a young daughter who needs to be protected and cared for and it looks like they’re doing just that by keeping it private.
I wish them the best of luck in whatever they decide to do with their relationship.

David was on Howard this morning saying basically the same thing… still friends, still love each other, handling it friendly, etc… he did make it sound unlikely that they’d reconcile though. This whole thing makes me sad – David seems to be such a nice guy and I always liked their “opposites attract” thing they had going.